MORE ON: campaign finance

Two San Joaquin Valley lawmakers have been accused of laundering $40,000 in a scheme to dodge California’s tough limits on political contributions. In an accusation filed Oct. 22, the state Fair Political Practices Commission said state Sen. Tom Berryhill, a Modesto Republican, and... + read more

Multimillionaire activists, big labor unions and major corporations combined to pump more than $363 million into political fights over 11 propositions on Tuesday’s state ballot, a California Watch analysis shows. That’s about $20 in political spending for each of California’s... + read more

The companies that make those candy bars leftover from Halloween don’t want Californians to be spooked by scary tales of “Frankenfoods.” The Hershey Co., Nestlé USA and Mars Inc. – makers of such trick-or-treat favorites as Butterfinger, Kit Kat and Snickers bars... + read more

While Gov. Jerry Brown cries foul over $11 million in unidentified money that recently infused the state ballot measure fight, federal races in California and around the country are awash in secret money, too. Advocacy groups that don't disclose donors have dumped more than $200 million... + read more

The Arizona group that dumped $11 million into California's ballot measure melee this week is led by a Republican activist who calls labor unions "the parasite that is killing our jobs." Robert Graham, a candidate for Arizona Republican Party chairman, heads Americans for... + read more

The top 10 donors to November's state ballot measures – a smattering of extremely wealthy people, powerful unions and large corporations – have dumped more than $150 million into the fight so far, according to campaign finance tracker MapLight.org. The mega-donors include... + read more

California might be solid blue in presidential elections, and some prominent Republicans love to roast the Golden State, but when it comes to super political action committees, the state's political giving is quite even-handed. Major conservative super PACs have raised $12.8 million this... + read more

RICHMOND – Groups aligned with the soda industry already have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars as Richmond prepares to vote on raising taxes on sweetened drinks an extra penny an ounce. Since the spring, tax opponents have outspent supporters almost 10 to 1, new financial records show.... + read more

Legislative races in California have been the most expensive and among the least competitive – in terms of fundraising – in the country, according to a new report. The candidates with the most money in state races almost always have more than twice as much as their competitors,... + read more

Critics of the practice in which financial firms help pass school bonds that they profit from are continuing to push for reforms, but so far have faced resistance and failure. In California, underwriting companies hired by school districts to sell bonds often make campaign contributions to... + read more

With the American political system deluged with super-sized donations, a few innovative proposals are trying to harness small donors and, in one case, divert campaign cash to charity. The Federal Election Commission recently OK'd a proposal to let consumers cash in loyalty program points,... + read more

After recent court rulings struck down significant campaign finance limits, the next frontier in the debate over money in politics appears to be public disclosure – whether there should be more or less of it. That sticky question formed the main source of argument among election law... + read more

Wealthy Californians are keeping the money flowing to super political action committees, even as some state lawmakers want to turn off the faucet. Super PACs on the left and right drew hefty contributions last month from the rich and famous – such as controversial comedian Bill Maher and... + read more

California has some of the best public disclosure of independent political spending in the country, according to a report released yesterday, but the state ethics watchdog wants to go further. The National Institute on Money in State Politics conducted a nationwide study of state... + read more